Portable electric searchlight



June 30, 1925. 1,5444gl9l n. L. SMITH roausLn LBc'rnrc -SEARGHLIGMOriginl' Filed Feb. 21. 1924 Figl.

lnvenor.

Roland I .Smih

bym wlw Anya.

Patented `l une 30, '1925.

uNiTi-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC BEARCHLIGHT.

Application illed February 21, 1924, Serial No. 694,281.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I` ROLAND L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Belmont, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Portable Electric Searchlights, of which thefollowing description, in connection With the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like characters on the drawingr representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in portable electric searchlights of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,170,012, grantedFeb. 1, 1916, in which an electric search light comprising a suitablerellector for projecting the rays of .light is n iounted upon a storagebattery whic supplies eurrent to the electric light. i

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a batte box orcontainer having a supporting mem r or a stud projecting outwardly :fromone of the walls upon which the Search light may be mounted, therebyenabling a more compact and serviceable construction to be produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a battery box or containerhaving a side provided with a metallic. reinforcing member having asupport or stud rejecting through the outer wall of the si e, upon whicha suitable bracket for the Search light may be mounted, the late servingto reinforce the side upon w ich it is secured, or preferably embedded,to a suilicient extent to enable the battery to be carried by the handleof the search light without other means of support, thereby avoiding thenecessity of providing a strap or other means for carr ing the device.

A ,further o ject of the invention is to provide a novel form ofbracket, for supporting the search light upon the projectin stud, whichis so formed that the vertica line of the center of gravit of theapparatus passes through the han le of the search light therebyproviding a balanced construction which can be readily carried by theoperator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel bracket orsupport between the projecting stud and the Search light which enablesthe beam of the Search light .to be projected in any desirabledirection.

A further object of the invention is to Renewed May 25, 1925.

provide a convenient means by which the search light can be removed fromits support and readily manipulated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Search light of thecharacter described having a battery box or container provided with aplurality of oppositely extending supporting studs whereby a lurality ofelectric lights may be suppor upon the same battery thereby providing aconstruction which portable search light may comprise lights ofdifferent characters, Is uclh for example as a beam light of a flood igt. By reason of such construction a search light is provided in which anarrow beam of light may be projected at a great distance, or a floodlight employed to illuminate a relatively wide area.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear fromthe following description and the accompanyin drawings and will beparticularly pointe out in the, claims.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the searchlight mounted upon a battery in the manner above described and alsoshowing in dotted lines a second flood light similarly mounted andadapted to proecting its rays in the opposite direction rom those of thelight which is illustrated in full lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one side, preferably oneside of the battery container showing a reinforcing plate embeddedin thesiide of the container and having a stud projecting through the outerwall thereof, and,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the preferred form of the reinforcing plateand stud illustrated in Fig. 2.

The portable Search light illustrated in full lines in the accompanyingdrawing coinprises a search light having the usual re- Hector 1 and lens2 provided with the usual electric bulb (not shown) and having a stem 3secured to and extending rearwardly from the reflector 1, a suitablehandle 4 being rotatably mounted upon the stem 3 and rovided with theusual switch mechanism not shown) for turning on and oli' the supply ofcurrent to the electric light, through conductors 5 and 6 whih arerespectively connected to the terminals 7 and 8 of a suitable storagebattery.

The storage battery which is illustrated herein as comprising aplurality of cells is enclosed in a preferably rectangular batte box orcontainer 9 preferably formed of vu canized rubber com sition. One ofthe principle objects of t e invention is to provide means by which thesearch light can be mounted upon a support extending from a side,preferably an end of the battery box, thereby avoidin the necessity ofmounting the support on t e top of the battery box or container and alsoavoiding the necessity of employing straps or other usual means forsupporting the device when it is to be transported from place to lace.

This is accomplisllied' in the illustrative embodiment of the inventiondisclosed herein by embeddin a metallic plate 10, preferably oftriangular form in one or more of the sides, pre erably an end or endsof the battery box o1* container, the plate having a stud 11 projectinthrough the outer wall of the side or end o the container as illustratedin Fig. 2. The preferred plate which is illustrated in 2 and 3 is of askeletonized triangular orm ,having a base 12 extending in parallelismwith the upper edge of the side in which it is embedded, with the apex13 of the triangle extending vertically downward. In order to decreasethe weight of metal in the reinforcing plate the edges 14 and 15 may bereduced as bevelling or the central portion of the ate provided with artures 16 and 17. Yt will however be undirstood that reinforcing platesor other forms of construction may be employed within the spirit of theclaims.

In order to support the plate during the molding of the side of thebattery box, a boss 18 having a cylindrical depression 19 is providednear the apex to receive a suitable stud to support the plate while thecomposition is being introduced into the mold, this stud being withdrawnand the a erture in the material roduced by it fill in when the materialof the container has suf- Iicientl set. A

By t us providin the embedded plate in the side or end of e containerthe wall is greatly reinforced and it is enabled to withstand blowswhich otherwise might break the side of the container and also providesan anchorage suicient to enable the battery to be supported from thestud 11.

- A -further feature of the invention consists in providin a noveldevice for supporting the search light in such a manner that it can bereadily detached and also in such a manner that the rays of the searchlight may be rejected in any desirable direction. As illustrated hereinthe support for the search light comprises an articulated bracket thelower section of which comprisesa cylindrical rtion 18 having a bore tofit upon the stu 11. The c lindrical portion 18 is split and is providwith complementary parallel extensions 19 which are clamped together blya winged screw 20. l The lower section of t e bracket is also providedwith a vertical arm 21 having a laterally extending cylinv drical boss22 which is similarly split and provided with a winged clampin screw 23.

The upper section of the artic ated member com rises a standard 24having a re` duced cy ndrical end portion 25 adapted to fit within Athec lindrical boss 22 of the lower section and to clamped into positionthere by a screw 23. The upper end of the standard 24 embraces the stem3 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The standard 24 is ofl'set to extend somewhat over the battery box sothat the vertical line of the center of avit intersects the handle 4 ofthe searc lig t thus enabling the search light to be properly balan sothat it can be readily transported from place to place by merely liftingit by the handle 4.

The upper section of the bracket may be rotarily adjusted ina\horizontal plane by loosening the screw 23 and rotating the bracketabout the vertical axis of the cylindrical extension 25 of the standardI24 so that the ray from the Search light may be projlected in anydesired direction at ri t ang es to the axis of said extension 25.loosening the screw 20 the search light may also be swung about the axisof the stud 1 1 thus enabling the beam from the light to be projected inany desirable direction perpendicular to the axis of the stud 11. Byreason of these two adjustments therefore about axes at right angles toeach other a universal mounting is provided which will enable the beamof the search light to be thrown in any desiredV direction and by thenclamping the screws the beam may be held in any desirable fixed ition.

Portable search light.: of this character have heretofore beenmanufactured with reflectors or other projecting ap ratus for throwingdifferent characters o lights, for example a beam light in which the ras are prcjected as nearly as possible in paral elism an other lightswhich are provided with projecting apparatus having more widelydistributing rays. It is desirable that a single apparatus may ,beprovided which will have means for projecting either parallel rays suchas a beam light or more divergent rays such as a floo light, and: such aconstruction-,may be provided by constructin the battery container witha plurality o supports for diiferent lights. This may be accomplished'by provi opposite sides, preferably opposite ends o Ythe batterycontainer or box, with. supporting plates LlU 4laicaaci and studs uponwhich 'thejdiierent lights may be mounted in theigiainer aforesaid. Thisis illustrated in Fig. 1 in tibetaccompanyingfdrawings in which one ofth Search lights is illustrated in tull lines and the other sea-rchllight and its mountings in dotted lines. ln such constructions the-battery box 9 isV provided with ane dded reinforcing plate similar to theplat 1 10il lustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 having a studJ 26 projectingthrough the outer wall of the bracket having mounted upon'it allartcu--` lated support ,the lower section 27, of which yis rotatablymounted upon: thestd 26V and secured by a winged screw 28 as abovedescribed and. is provided also with a cylindrical boss 29 in which thereduced end portion 30 of the upper section 31 is rotatably secured 'bya winged screw 32. The upper .section or standard 29 is secured to thestem 33 of another light 34 which may be a tlood light. The flood lightmay likewise be supplied from the battery, with current, 1n the mannerabove described. f

In such a construction the device may be carried either by thev handle 4ofthe ban light or by the handle of the flodd light being understoodthat the supprts'or the lights are of the sameconstruction" and are sodesigned that the vertical line of gravity of the device will passthrough the handle properly balancing the device.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosedherein is illustrative and not restrictive and thtvariou's changes inform, costrlictionand arran ement of parts may be made withinthe spi itand scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, whatI is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is: t

l. A portable electric search light comprising a lamp having a reflectorprovided with a stem having a handle extending rear# wardly therefromand a. battery having a container a wall of which is provided with anembedded plate having a stud projecting from a vertical wall thereof, astandard for said light mounted on said stud engaging said stem andnormally positioned to cause the vertical line of the center of gravityof the battery and light to intersect the axis of the handle wherebj7the device will properlv balance when raised by the handle.

2. A portable electric search light comprising a lamp having; areflector provided with a stem having a handle extending rearwardlytherefrom and a battery having a container a wall of which is providedwith an embedded plate having a stud projecting from a vertical wallthereof. a standard for said light pivotally mounted atI its lower endon said stud, means for detachably securing said standard to said stud.means upon the upper end of said standard engaging said stern positionedto cause thevertical line o the ceiftrt-'of gravity of the battery andli f ht to intersect the axis of the handle wheregy the device willproperly balance when .raised by the handle.

3. A portable electric search light comprising a lamp having a reflectorprovided with a stein having aliandle extending rearwardly therefrom anda. battery having a container awall of which-is provided with anembedded plate having a stud projecting from a vertical wall thereof, anarticulated light-supporting standard having a lower section pivotallymounted on said stem to swing about a horizontal axis and an uppersection pivoted upon said lower section to swing about an axisperpendicular tothe axis of said stud.,4

4. A portable electric search light comfprising a lamp having areflector provided with a stem having a handle extending rearwardlytherefrom and a battery having a container a wall of which is providedwith an embedded yplate having a stud projecting from a vertical wallthereof, an articulated light-supporting standard having a lowerVsection plvotally mounted on said stem to swing about a horizontalaxis, an upper section pivoted upon said lower section to swing [aboutan axis perpendicular to the axis of said stud and means for detachablyconnecting the upper section of said bracket to the lower section.

5. A portable Search light construction comprising a battery containerformed of rigid insulating material and having a side provided with anembedded plate of metal iaving a stud projecting through the outer vallof said side to provide a support for a o affording a support for thebattery.

6. Amor-table search light construction comprising a battery containerhaving a side provided with an. embedded triangular metallic platehaving its base parallel to the upper edge of the container and its apexextending downwardly and a stud projecting from the central portion ofsaid base through the outer wall of said side providing a mounting or alight-supporting mem- 7. A portable search light construct-ioncomp'rising a battery container having a Side provided with an embeddedplate of triangular forni having a central aperture thcrcthrpugh thewalls of said plate being beveled toward said aperture and the base ofsaid plate lying in parallelism with the upper wall of the receptacleand the apex of the plate extending downwardly` said base havingIr astud projecting through the outer wall of the side providing a mountingor a light-supporting member.

8. A portable search light construction comprising a rectangular batterycontainer ight-supporting member and also capable,

i Iii tiestilony whereof, I have signed by 10. Aporta le electrc-sarchlight comnam to` this specification.

prising a plurality of lamps having diierent ROLAND L.- SMITH.

aving its opposite sides each provided with an embedded metallic platehaving a stud projecting through the outer wall of the side providing amounting or a light-supporting member.

9. A portable Search light construction comprising a rectangular batterycontainer having its opposite sides provided with enibedded triangularplates with their bases lying oppositely to the upper edge of thecontainer and their apexes extending downwardly and with studyprojecting from the lcentral portions of said bases through the outerwalls of sides providing a mounting or a light-supporting member.

10. A portable electric search light comprising a plurality of lampshaving different properly balanced when lifted by one of said handles.

In testimony whereof, I have signed by name to this specification.

ROLAND L. SMITH.

Oertlcate of Correction.

It is hereby eenied theal in Ieteere Pecent Ne. 1,544,19i`;greneed June3o 192s,

upon the application of Roland L. Smith, of Belmont, Massachusetts,

"improvement in Portable Electric Searchlghts, errors appear in theprinted specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 115and 128,'claims 6 and 7, and page 4, lines 4 and 15, claims 8 and 9, forthe word or read for; page 4, line 12, claim 9, for the word study readstuds; and line 14, before the word sides insert the Word said; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOilice.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of July, A. D. 1925.

[um] KARL FENNING,

Acting Uommiasmr of Patente.

Oertlcate of Correction.

It is hereby oertied that in Letters Patent No. 1,544,191`,\gra.ntedJune 30 1925, npon the application of Roland L. Smith, of Belmont',Massachusetts, or mi 'improvement in Portable Electric Searchlights,errors appeer in the printed specificationrequiring correction asfollows: Page 3, lines 115 and 128, claims 6 and 7, and page 4, lines 4and 15, claims 8 and 9, for the word or rend for; page 4, line 12, claim9, for the word study read studs; ,and line 14, before the word sidesinsert the word said; and that the said letters Patent should be readwith these corrections therein that the same may conform to the rerd ofthe case in the Patent Oiee Signed and sealed this 21st day of July, A.D. 1925.

[mL] KARL FENNIING,

4 Acting Uommssioner of Patente.

